Herefordshire Housing has been working with older residents at Penyard Gardens at Ross-on-Wye to improve their knowledge of digital technology and start using the internet. The result has been the creation of a digital hub.
Residents at the housing scheme in Ross set up their own internet access as they were keen to learn more about the wonders of digital technology.
Working with the residents, Herefordshire Housing arranged for a reconditioned computer from local company, Enviroability. A second computer was also kindly donated by a resident.
Get Digital sessions were organised by the housing association with the help of IT colleagues and IT support from Enviroability.
“The residents were really keen to learn more about digital technology so we arranged sessions for them in their communal area.
“We worked with Enviroability who provided them with the computer and IT support and Age Concern who helped with online shopping,” said Suzanne Farmer, Customer Involvement Officer for Herefordshire Housing
Residents used search engines, emailed family members in Australia, looked at street views of loved ones homes in other countries, made online purchases, viewed online art galleries and got to grips with a Nintendo Wii
The group also connected the computer to a projector and watched a clip from British Pathe of historic Ross-on-Wye and used youtube to watch films of the Wye Valley.
Residents will also be exploring social networking in the near future as they learn how to use Facebook.
Herefordshire Housing had also invited local photographer Gerry Matthews to give advice on digital photography. Due to the interest from residents, photography classes will now be running at the scheme.
Bingo sessions will also feature at the scheme in the future, thanks to Enviroability who installed a programme onto their computer. Residents will open these sessions to all of Western under Penyard.
For more information on the Get Digital Scheme at Penyard Gardens, please contact Suzanne Farmer on 01432 384010.